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The Haunting Palace Ep 1 Recap: Yeo Ri faces restless ghosts, palace secrets and tragic bond with Gangcheol's spirit
Yeo Ri struggles to escape her fate as restless spirits haunt the palace. When Yun Gap is fatally wounded, the vengeful spirit of Gangcheol possesses his body in The Haunting Palace series.
The Haunting Palace, directed by Yoon Sung Shik, is a supernatural mystery with romance and suspense mixed into the series. It begins with Yeo Ri, played by WJSN's Bona, listening to her shaman grandmother’s haunting story. The tale centers on Gangcheol, a dragon who spent centuries doing good but was cursed after mistakenly locking eyes with a human baby during his ascent to the heavens. Cast down as a restless spirit, Gangcheol roams the earth, consumed by anger.
Years later, Yeo Ri works as a skilled glass artisan, rejecting the shamanic destiny tied to her family. However, she remains haunted by the spirit of Gangcheol, who appears only to her. He persistently offers to become her guardian spirit, but Yeo Ri, still haunted by her grandmother’s mysterious death and warnings, refuses him.
In the royal palace, unrest grows. BTOB's Yook Sungjae plays Yun Gap, a principled, respected palace official. After finding a noblewoman unconscious, he quietly returns her without claiming credit. Meanwhile, Kim Ji Hoon’s King Lee Seong faces his son’s disturbing behavior. Despite these troubling signs, King Lee Seong insists it is a medical issue, dismissing Yun Gap’s suggestion to seek spiritual help.
In the village, Yeo Ri sells glasses to a nobleman, sensing dark energy in his home. His daughter is haunted by a vengeful, one-legged ghost. Yeo Ri bravely attempts to drive it away but is nearly overpowered. Gangcheol intervenes, offering aid if Yeo Ri will accept him as her guardian, which she refuses. Using a spiritual stone left by her grandmother, she defeats the ghost herself.
Flashbacks show Yeo Ri’s isolated childhood, and the only person who showed kindness was Yun Gap, who once fell from a tree while protecting her during a supernatural disturbance. Their connection is both emotional and fateful.
As trouble deepens at the palace, Yun Gap proposes bringing Yeo Ri to Hanyang as a glass artisan, secretly hoping her abilities can help.
On the journey, thugs fatally stab Yun Gap. Gangcheol seizes his body, using supernatural powers to fight them. Yeo Ri finds Yun Gap’s spirit separated from his body, while Gangcheol insists he is innocent. The first episode of The Huantig Palace ends in chaos as Yeo Ri flees, and both tumble off a cliff.
The Haunted Palace Cast: Yook Sungjae, Bona, Kim Sang Ho, Kim Ji Hoon, Kil Hae Yeon, Shin Seul Ki
The Haunted Palace Director: Yoon Sung Shik
The Haunted Palace Release Schedule: Apr 18, 2025 – Jun 7, 2025
The Haunted Palace Release Time: 6.30 PM IST
